The object of the present invention is a device for locating electric conductor cables.
The term cable covers an outer sheathing containing several conductors as well as just a single wire.
In some applications, and in particular in the rail sector, whether it concerns trains, tramways or subways, it is necessary to locate the conductor cables using an external device, to facilitate the connection of the cables, on first connection, but also on reconnection, for example after changing a device powered by these cables.
Each cable is located by a sleeve made of heat-shrinkable synthetic material, bearing identification marks on its outer surface. Theoretically, the sleeve is fitted around the cable to be located, from one end of the latter, and then is heat-shrunk onto the cable, in order to be immobilized on it.
In practice, for reasons of economy, manufacturers are eliminating the heat-shrinking operation. In effect, given the cable is connected through the intermediary of a terminal fitting placed on the end of the cable, and representing an enlargement of the cable, the terminal fitting can secure the sleeve.
However, the arrival on the market of new types of connections, for example spring connections without an end fitting, and insulation displacement connections, raises the problem of securing the sleeve on the cable, in a maintenance operation, if the sleeve is not heat-shrunk onto the cable.
FIG. 1 of the schematic drawing appended represents a known device, comprising a sleeve 2 of synthetic heat-shrinkable material, fitted on a conductor cable 3. The outer surface of the sleeve includes identification marks 4. As shown in FIG. 2, after the sleeve is fitted on the cable, the sleeve is heat-shrunk and flattened, ensuring that it is fixed on the cable.
To try to avoid the loss of a sleeve that is not heat-shrunk onto a conductor cable, a sleeve 12 was devised, as shown in FIG. 3, with two through-holes 13, enabling the cable 3 to pass from one side of the flattened sleeve to the other, through a first hole, and then to pass from this other side to the first side through the second hole. One drawback of this solution is that, when the sleeve is flattened, the conductor cable covers one side of the sleeve, preventing the identification marks applied to that side from being read.